CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police officers firing warning shots is a tactic that raises multiple concerns, however, it’s included in a national policy that lays out guidelines for how and when officers are allowed to use force.
The National Consensus Policy on Use of Force stipulates that warning shots are meant to get someone to comply with police, but not hurt them.
The policy was reintroduced in 2017 and is up for discussion this week at an international conference for police chiefs.
Charlotte Mecklenburg police Lt. Sean Mitchell trains officers on the use of deadly force. He told Channel 9 that warning shots are not a part of CMPD’s policy, and he doesn’t expect that they will be.
“We are responsible for the resting place of every projectile that comes out of that barrel of that weapon,” Mitchell said. “In fact, officers are encouraged to not fire their weapons when the backdrop, if we will, of the person is not good.”
Channel 9 reached out to multiple law enforcement agencies for information on their warning shot policies.
Rock Hill police officials responded via email and called the tactic “unsafe,” adding that it could harm innocent people.
Authorities with the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office said that it has a strict policy against firing warning shots.
Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office officials said there are many reasons the tactic is unacceptable, with public safety at the forefront.
Community activists like Robert Dawkins are calling for more verbal warnings from police as an alternative to firing their weapon.
“If they're actually giving people enough time to respond to their commands before using lethal force,” Dawkins said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Kerr Putney is not planning to attend the international conference, according to CMPD officials. Authorities with the Rock Hill police said police Chief Chris Watts does plan on going.
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